If you are interested in adding this feature to your ATS module, please contact your sales rep/account manager for more information.

Within the Applicant Tracking System, you can exchange text messages with candidates who have opted in via the job application process or manually, if you opt them in via their candidate profile. The phone number used for text messaging is generated from the Administration page, and up to 3 users can be assigned to a telephone number. Users assigned to a telephone number can begin communicating with candidates from the Job Posting, Candidate Pool, or Candidate Profile pages, depending on which pages they have permission.

We also offer a video training for this topic on Arcoro Learning.

Table of Contents

• Inbox Widget
• Assigning Phone Numbers and Users
• Sending Text Messages
• How Candidates Opt In/Out
  • Opt In/Out Status On Candidate Profile
• SMS Text Messaging Activity Report

Misc Information

• The messaging icon that allows users to communicate with candidates will only be seen by users assigned to the phone number.
• If a message has not been sent due to an invalid phone number, an alert will appear in the SMS history. 
• Who Can View & Send Text Messages:
  • The messaging icon to communicate with candidates will only be seen by users assigned to a phone number and if the candidate has opted in to text message communication.
  • The "SMS Message History" from the Candidate Profile can only be viewed by users assigned to the phone number and with permission to view the candidate profile/pool.
  • Only Users assigned to the phone number can view/send messages to candidates. If an administrator wishes to review text message usage and history, they must use the "SMS Text Messaging" report.
• Text Messaging Allowance:
  • The text messaging allowance will include any sent and received messages. 
  • The text message allowance is shared by all users assigned to the phone number.
  • The text message allowance can be viewed by an administrator on the "Text Message Numbers" page from the Administration menu.
  • The text messaging allowance will automatically reset at the beginning of each month. There will be no carryover of unsent messages from previous months.
  • The ATS will alert users when 90% of messages have been used and when the max has been reached. If the max has been reached, the "Send" button will be disabled.
  • If you want to change the monthly allowance amount and/or add more phone numbers, you must consult your account manager.

Inbox Widget

The bell icon towards the top of the ATS is for your inbox widget and indicates if you have any new messages to view for the user's assigned telephone number. When a candidate replies to a text message, the inbox widget will appear for all users assigned and logged-in users of the phone number within the ATS.

Please keep in mind that if more than one user is assigned to a phone number and one of those users views the message, the inbox widget bell icon will not appear for the other users assigned to the phone number.

The user who is communicating with the candidate may benefit from using the SMS message icon from other pages, such as the job posting page, candidate pool, or candidate profile, to see the message thread and replies from the candidate(s).

Assigning Phone Numbers and Users

The process for assigning phone numbers and users to phone numbers is covered in the following dedicated article.

Sending & Reviewing Text Messages

The process for sending text messages is detailed in the following dedicated article.

How Candidates Opt In/Out

Candidates can opt in by selecting their preferred phone number for text message communication or opt out entirely while completing their job application. This question is available on our system default job applications (DOT included) and on any custom application templates.

Special Consideration

• If a candidate opts out of text messaging, you will need to communicate via email or by calling them directly.
• If the candidate does not select their telephone number preference while completing the job application, they will be opted out by default.
• Candidates can opt-out after receiving text messages by replying “STOP”.
• Candidates and hires who opt out of text messages can restart the service by texting "START" to your text messaging number.
• If a candidate has opted out, they can opt back in by completing and opting in for another job posting application or by contacting a recruiter to have their candidate profile updated to opt back in. Candidates should not be opted in if they do not consent.

Opt In/Out Status On Candidate Profile

The candidate profile will indicate if the candidate has opted in or out of text message communication, along with their main and alternate phone number. The phone numbers can be edited at any time and changed for preference if the candidate requests an update to their phone number(s) or to opt-out from receiving messages.

If the candidate has opted in to text messaging and an exchange of messages has occurred, the assigned users to that telephone number will be able to view the threads. Only those assigned to the phone number will see this and they must have the Candidate Pool and access to the candidate profile to view.

Updating a Phone Number or Text Message Status

Updating a candidate's phone number(s) or opting them in/out of text messages is done from their candidate profile. The steps to accomplish this are detailed in the following article.

SMS Text Messaging Activity Report

If there is a need to view all text messages sent/received between users and candidates, the "SMS Activity" report can be generated by Administrators or users with permission to run the report.

For more information about generating an ATS report, please refer to the following article.